What Homeowners Actually Pay for Building Permits
Real data from 193,145 permit records across major US cities
Key finding: The average building permit fee in Chicago is $850, while Denver homeowners pay an average of $1,164 — a 37% difference for the same types of projects.
About This Data
Most permit fee estimates online are just that — estimates. They're based on national averages, rules of thumb, or outdated fee schedules. We wanted to know what homeowners actually pay.
We analyzed 193,145 building permit records with fee data from official city open data portals. Every number in this report comes from a real permit filed with a real city building department between 2021 and 2026.
The cities with publicly available fee data are Chicago and Denver. For Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Austin, we have project valuation data (what the project cost to build) but not the permit fee itself.
Average Permit Fee by City
| City | Permits Analyzed | Average Fee | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | 173,290 | $850 | $1 – $49,780 |
| Denver, CO | 19,855 | $1,164 | $1 – $49,970 |
Data: Official city open data portals, 2021–2026. Outliers above $50,000 excluded from averages.
Where Most Chicago Permits Fall: Fee Distribution
Nearly half of all Chicago building permits cost less than $250.
Based on 173,290 Chicago permits with fee data.
Average Project Cost by City
Even when permit fees aren't public, project valuations reveal what homeowners spend on construction.
| City | Permits Analyzed | Avg Project Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | 30,458 | $261,489 |
| Denver, CO | 20,260 | $171,151 |
| Chicago, IL | 158,922 | $100,809 |
| San Francisco, CA | 120,412 | $61,909 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 299,856 | $57,183 |
Project cost = estimated construction value declared on the permit application. Excludes outliers above $5M.
What Projects Cost in Los Angeles
LA has the most detailed project-level data, with 316,993+ permits on file.
| Project Type | Permits | Avg Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bldg-alter/repair | 196,243 | $31,919 |
| Bldg-addition | 26,963 | $107,618 |
| Bldg-new | 20,019 | $335,882 |
| Grading | 15,282 | $1,051 |
| Swimming-pool/spa | 12,317 | $29,583 |
| Bldg-demolition | 9,512 | $12,344 |
| Nonbldg-new | 9,473 | $60,327 |
| Sign | 6,597 | $8,867 |
Key Takeaways
- Denver permits cost 37% more than Chicago on average. Denver's average fee of $1,164 vs. Chicago's $850 suggests Western cities charge significantly more for permits.
- Nearly half of Chicago permits cost under $250. The bulk of permits are for smaller projects (express permits, easy permits) that come with modest fees. Major renovations and new construction push the average up.
- New construction in LA averages $336K. The gap between alterations ($32K avg) and new builds ($336K avg) is 10x, reflecting the massive cost difference between renovation and ground-up construction.
- Pool permits in LA average $30K in declared value — making them one of the most expensive permit categories after new construction and additions.
Methodology
This report analyzes building permit records from official city open data portals. Data was collected via each city's public API between April 9–12, 2026.
- Chicago: 173,290 permits with fee data from the City of Chicago Open Data Portal (data.cityofchicago.org)
- Denver: 19,855 permits with fee data from Denver Open Data Catalog (ArcGIS)
- Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Austin: Project valuation data (not fees) from each city's open data portal
Outliers above $50,000 (fees) and $5,000,000 (project cost) were excluded from averages. All data is from permits issued between 2021 and 2026.
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